Centralized traffic controlling system for railroads



' VINVENTO mona T. J. JUDGE CENTRALIZED TRAFFIC CQNTROLLING SYSTEM FOR RAILROAI DS Filed March 24, 1933 March 9 1937.

. S N v Q l mwmzm ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 9, 1937 UNITED STATES CENTRALIZED TRAFFIC CONTROLLING SYSTEM FOR RAILROADS Thomas J. Judge, Rochester, N. Y., a ssignor to I General Railway Signal Company, Rochester,

Application March 24, 1933, Serial No. 662,542

14 Claims.

This invention relates to signalling systems and more particularly to a signalling system for audibly indicating the occurrence of certain conditions in a centralized traflic controlling system 5 for railroads. 1

In centralized traffic controlling systems it is desirable to indicate by audible means in the central or control office the entrance of trains in certain track sections, so that the operator may have his attention called totrain movements when he is engaged in other duties. The control o-fiice in such systems has a number of electroresponsive devices or relays, each of which is positioned in accordance with the occupancy of the associated track section and consequently the provision of individual means associated with each such relay for controlling an audible indication device results in considerable apparatus.

In View of the above and other considerations,

the present invention contemplates the use of certain common apparatus, cooperating with any number of the above mentioned relays for controlling the audible indication, which results in a considerable reduction in apparatus. It is further proposed to actuate a common audible signal, such as a single stroke bell, once during a cycle of operations when one or more of the relays have been conditioned during the cycle to a position which requires that the audible signal be actuated. The energization of the common signal is preferably efiected' at the end of an operating cycle, during which indications responsive to particular changes at a remote point are transmitted. Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be hereinafter set forth in the specification and claims and shown in the drawing. The characteristic features will be explained more in detail in the following description of one embodiment of the invention, while the various advantages of the system will be in part pointed out and in part apparent as the description progresses.

The present audible indication system is shown in the drawing and described in the specification as applied to a selective type of centralized trafi'ic controlling system, such as is shown in the application of N. D. Preston et al., Ser. No. 455,304,

filed May 24, 1930, corresponding to Australian Patent 1,501 of 1931. The detailed system to which this invention is applied is not shown or described in the present disclosure, since the operation may be exactly the same as disclosed and thoroughly explained in the above mentioned application. Briefly, the particular functions of 5 the system with which this invention is coneerned consists in transmitting a particular combination of impulses from a field station to the control oflice, for registering the field station in the office-and thereafter registering in the control office the condition of the various traffic con- 5 trolling devices at the field station. The registration of a particular field station in the control ofilce is accomplished by energizing a station relay associated "with the transmitting field station such as relay C or relay-C in the accompanying drawing, which relays correspond to relays C and Ciin the above mentioned prior application. After the particular station or track location has been thus registered in the control ofiice, the following impulse or impulses are effec- 15 tive to indicate what the particular change in condition has been,. for example, whether the track section has become occupied or unoccupied. Each of the above mentioned stations which may be registered in the-control ofiice has one or more indication storing relays such as relays IN, IN and IN which relays correspond to similarly characterized relays in the above mentioned application. Relays'IN and 1N are conditioned by another station, for example station No. 2 with which relay C is associated.- These indication storing relays are illustrated as being of the twoposition magnetic stick type, which means that such arelay is arranged tomagnetically retain its armature in its last operated position until the application of energy of a reversed polarity from that which positioned it to its last operated position.

A common group of message storingrelays MS MS and MS is provided. These relays are of the 35 same type as the IN relays abovementioned, the number required being determined by the maximum number of -indication storing relays associated with any one station or location in the system. For example, assuming that relay C isthe station relay corresponding to station No. 3 and that this stationrequires three indication storing relays IN, IN and IN to register certain indication conditions occurring at the associated station requiring an audible indication. If there is no other station in the system with more than three such indication storing relays, then the total number of message storing relays required is threeas shown in' the drawing. It will be understood that these message storing relays are used 0 in common, irrespective of the number of stations and thetotal number of indication storing relays in the control ofiice.

Audiblein dication control relays AU AU and AU are associated with corresponding message storing relays and are for the purpose of checking the positions of the indication storing relays, as will be later described. The total number of audible indication control relays is the same as the number of message storing relays and it will be understood that these control relays are likewise used in common by all the indication storing relays.

Message recording relay MR repeats the operation of the SAP relay, being picked up at the beginning of a cycle and dropped at the end of a cycle. Relays SA and SAP are the line repeating relays provided in a centralized traffic controlling system to define the bounds of an operating cycle, that is, relays SA and SAP are picked up at the beginning of the cycle and are dropped at the end of a cycle. The detailed circuit arrangement of these slow acting relays is not shown since it may be exactly the same as disclosed in the prior application of T. J. Judge, Ser. No. 652,176 filed January 17, 1933. The bell indicated in the drawing is preferably of the single stroke type although it will be understood that a vibrating type bell can be used if desired.

All of the circuits in the accompanying drawing are shown in their de-energized conditions. It will be understood that the indication storing relays 1N 1N 1N 1N and 1N ordinarily have polar contacts in addition to those indicated in the drawing, which are used for the purpose of energizing visual indication devices such as lamps or the like. The symbols and indicate the positive and negative terminals respectively of suitable batteries or other sources of current and the circuits with which these symbols are used always have current flowing in the same direction. The symbols (3+) and (13-) are employed to indicate the positive and negative terminals respectively of a suitable battery or other source of current having an intermediate tap (CN) and the circuits with which these symbols are used may have current flowing in one direction or the other, depending upon whether the terminal (3+) or (B) is used in combination with the intermediate tap (CN).

It will now be assumed that a train leaves an occupied track section at station No. 3 and that an operating cycle of the centralized'traffic controlling system is initiated as a result. It will be assumed that the indication storing relays IN, IN and IN are in the positions indicated in the drawing and that the coded impulses transmitted during the cycle are effective to energize indication buses IS, IT and I8 with impulses of potential, which energize the three indication storing relays in such a direction that their polar contacts remain in the left hand positions. Buses I6, I! and [8 are selected and impulsed in rotation during the cycle in a manner which is completely disclosed in the above mentioned application Ser. No. 455,304.

When relay SAP is picked up at the beginning of the cycle, a circuit is closed for energizing relay MR which extends from winding of relay MR. and front contact 4 of relay SAP, to The picking up of relay MR. connects relays MS MS and MS to buses I6, I! and I8 by way of front contacts 5, 6 and I of relay MR. The impulses which are applied to buses I6, I! and I8 in sequence for positioning relays 1N IN and IN to the left are likewise effective to so energize the three message storing relays that their polar contacts remain in the left hand positions.

With all indication storing relay contacts positioned to the left there is no circuit completed for energizing an audible indication control relay such as AU AU and AU and since none of the message storing relays are positioned to the right, the bell circuit is not energized. Only one station relay can be up at the same time, therefore relay C is down so that relays 1N and IN are not energized.

It will now be assumed that a train enters an unoccupied track section at station No. 3 resulting in an operating cycle of the traflic controlling cycle being effected to register this station in the control office by picking up relay C It will be assumed that relay IN is energized with an impulse of potential to record the condition that the unoccupied track section is being entered. This impulse extends through front contact 8 of relay C and the winding of relay IN, to (ON) and also through front contact 5 of relay MR and the winding of relay MS to (ON), so that relays 1N and MS are both positioned to the right. Relay 1N closes a circuit for energizing bell wire Iil which extends from contact ll of relay 1N in its right hand dotted position, front contact 12 of relay C audible indication bus No. 1, contact l3 of relay MS in its right hand dotted position, back contact I 4 of relay AU and conductor ID to the left hand terminal of the bell. Since relay SA is picked up at this time, the other terminal of the bell winding is open at back contact l5 of relay SA.

At the end of the cycle, relay SA drops and completes the energizing circuit for the bell f through its back contact l5 and front contact 4 of relay SAP, to Shortly after the dropping of relay SA, relay SAP is dropped, because its energizing circuit is open at front contact l9 of relay SA, which in turn de-energizes the bell circuit by the dropping of front contact 4 of relay SAP. The dropping of front contact 4 of relay SAP likewise de-energizes relay MR. The dropping of contact 5 of relay MR closes an energizing circuit for relay MS extending from (CN), winding of relay MS back contact 5 of relay MR, and contact 9 of relay MS in its right hand dotted position, to (B). The current flow in this circuit is of such a direction that relay MS restores its contacts to the left, after which its energizing circuit is opened at contact 9. Similar restoring circuits are completed through back contacts 6 and 1 of relay MR, effective at the endof a cycle to restore relay MS and/or relay MS if picked up during the cycle.

In the event that relay IN shifts from left to right during a cycle, the bell is energized over a circuit partially made up when the relay shifts its contacts, which extends from contact 20 of relay IN in its right hand dotted position, front contact 2| of relay C audible indication bus No. 2, contact 22 of relay MS in its right hand dotted position and back contact 23 of relay AU to conductor ID. At the end of the cycle when relay SA is dropped and before relay SAP releases, the circuit including the bell is completed through back contact I 5 of relay SA and front contact 4 of relay SAP, to It will be understood that relay MS is positioned to the right in this case when indication bus I! is energized for positioning relay IN to the right.

In the event that relays IN and MS are positioned to the right during a cycle, then the bell is energized over a circuit partially made up when relay IN shifts its contacts, which circuit extends cit from contact 24 of relay 1N in. its: right hand dotted position, front. contact 25 of; relay C audible indication bus No. 3, contact 26 of relay MS in its right hand dotted position, back .5 contact 2'! of relay AU and conductor I to the 215 required that the bell be energized, first because relay 1N if not energized, is an indication that there is no change in the associated track section and second, this relay shifting from right to left is an indication that the associated track sec- ..20 tion is changing from an occupied to an unoccupied position and does not require the transmission of an audible indication.

With relay IN in its right hand dotted posi tion when relay C picks up to register the stai tion in the control office, a circuit is closed for picking up relay AU which extends from contact H. of relay 1N in its right hand dotted position, frontcontact l2 of relay C audible indication bus No. 1, contact l3 of relay MS in its left hand position and upper winding of relay ATP, to Relay AU closes a stick circuit for itself which extends from lower winding and front contact 28 of relay AU and front contact 4 of relay SAP,v to

- The picking up of relay All disconnects conductor in from contact l3 of relay MS. so that the bell circuit is not energized, although relay IN is in its right hand position. At the end of the cycle, the dropping of relay SAP de-energizes the stick circuit of relay AU audit is released. From this typical example it will be apparent that relays AU and AU are picked up and stuck up during a cycle if the corresponding indication storing relays IN and 1N are in their right hand 5 dotted positions when relay C is picked up. Likedisconnects conductor [0 from the corresponding polar contacts I3, 22 and 26 of relays M5 M8 and M5 so that the bell circuit is"not energized.

From the above description it will be noted that a test is made of the positions of the indication storing relay contacts when a station relay is picked up. If these contacts are in their left hand positions, then the corresponding AU relays are not picked upbut if they are in their right hand dotted positions, then the corresponding AU'relays are picked up and stuck up until the end or" the cycle. The picking up of an AU relay disables the bell circuit which is controlled through contacts of the corresponding indication storing relay, so that the bell cannotbe energized during a cycle if the test shows that the indication storing relay is in its right hand position, instead of being shifted from its left hand position to its right hand position.

It will be noted that the positioning of relay 7 IN to its right hand dotted position is efiected at the same time that relay M5 is positioned to the right. To avoid the picking up of relay AU when contact ll of relay IN is closed (if this contact closes before contact It of relay MS is opened) it is planned to make the audible indication control relays slow to pick up by any Well known means, such as weighted armatures, copper sleeves. on the cores or the like.

An audible signal system hasv thus been provided'in which common means are responsive to a change in condition of any one of a large number of indicating relays and it is further provided that the audible signalis only effective when the changed indication is of a certain. distinctive nature. .The present invention further provides a signal control means which is operable to give only a momentary signal at a particular portion of the transmitting cycle, after which the signal controlling means becomes sensitive to a succeeding change requiring an audible indication.

Although the invention has been shown and described more particularly with reference to actuating an audible signal by means of apparatus: which is common to a plurality of individual control relays, it is contemplated that the invention will have other uses. For example, the

stylus positioning and operating coils in an automatic train recorder may be energized in the manner discussed in, connection with the energization of the bell. Since such a recorder serves to register a plurality of indications which ocour one at a time, it is obvious that the present circuit arrangement can be used for repeating momentary impulses to the common recorder without the addition of any individual relays to the usual number ofindication relays, all of which results in a considerable saving in equipment.

'I'heabove rather specific description of. one

formof the present invention is given solely by way of example and is not intended in any manner in a limiting sense. It is also to be understood that. various modifications may be made in order to meet the various individual problems encountered in practice and that the system may be varied in the number of individual and common relays, all without in-any manner departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention except as limited by the appended claims.

What I claim is:-

1. A signalling system forindicating a change in the condition of any one of a plurality of devices, comprising a control relay, contacts operated by each of said devices for establishing a pick-up circuit for said control relay, an energizing circuit for said devices, a storing relay common to a plurality of said devices, means for simultaneously operating any one of said devices and. said storing relay over said energizing circult and means controlled by said storing relay for rendering all of said contacts ineffective to establishsaid pick-up circuit.

2. In a signalling system for railway traffic controlling systems, an audible signal; an energizing circuit for said signal, a plurality of indication relays associated with various track sections, a remotely controlled message relay selec-' tively positioned in synchronism with the positioning of any one of said indication relays, a control relay, a pick-up circuit for said control relay including contacts on any one of said indication relays, and means for preventing the operation of. said control relay when one of said indication relays and said .message relay are positionedinto correspondence at substantially the same time whereby said energizing circuit is rendered eifective.

3. In a signalling system for railway trafiic controlling systems, an audible signal, an energizing circuit for said signal, a plurality of indication relays associated with various track sections, a remotely controlled message relay selectively positioned in synchronism with the positioning of any one of said indication relays, a control relay, a pick-up circuit for said control relay including contacts on any one of said indication relays, and means for operating said control relay when one of said indication relays is out of correspondence with said message relay whereby said energizing circuit is rendered ineffective.

4. In combination, a plurality of indication relays capable of being operated only one at a time, a contact on each of said indication relays, a control relay and a message relay common to said indication relays, a single circuit over which any of said indication relays and said message relay are simultaneously energized and signal means jointly governed by said control relay, said message relay and the contact .of any one of said indication relays.

5. In combination, a signal, a plurality of indication relays each having a contact, means assuring the operation of only one of said indication relays at any one time, a control relay, a

message relay having a contact actuated to first and second positions, an energizing circuit for said control relay including a contact of one of said indication relays and the contact of said message relay in its first position, and means governed by said control relay for selectively operating said signal.

6. In combination, a signal, a plurality of indication relays each having a contact, means assuring the operation of only one of said indication relays at any one time, a control relay, a message relay having a contact actuated to first and second positions, an energizing circuit for said control relay including a contact of one of said indication relays and the contact of said message relay in its first position, and means governed by said control relay for selectively operating said signal including the contact of said message relay in its second position.

'7. In combination, a plurality of indication relays capable of being operated only one at a time, a contact on each of said indication relays, a control relay and a message relay common to said indication relays, a single circuit over which any one of said indication relays and said message relay are simultaneously energized, an energizing circuit for said control relay including contacts of said message relay and contacts of any of said indication relays, and signal means jointly governed by said control relay, said message relay and the contact of any one of said indication relays.

8. In a signalling system for indicating a change in the condition of any one of a plurality of devices, comprising a control relay, a contact operated by each of said devices, a pick up circuit for said control relay including either one of said contacts, a characteristically energized bus, means for selectively connecting said bus to said devices whereby said devices are operated, and means controlled in accordance with the distinctive character of energization of said bus for rendering said pick up circuit ineffective to energize said control relay.

9. In a signalling system, a first plurality of buses selectively and distinctively energized, a plurality of indication storing relays, means for selectively associating said indication storing relays with said first plurality of buses, means responsive to the distinctive energization of said first plurality of buses for distinctively operating said indication storing relays, a'second plurality of buses, means responsive to a distinctive operation of said indication storing relays for energizing said second plurality of buses, an indication signal, means responsive to a distinctive energization of one of said first plurality of buses for effecting the connection of said signal to one of said second plurality of buses, and means responsive to the energization of said one of said second plurality of buses for energizing said signal.

10. In a signalling system, a first plurality of buses selectively and distinctively energized, a plurality of indication storing relays, means for selectively associating said indication storing relays with said first plurality of buses, means responsive to the distinctive energization of said first plurality of buses for distinctively operating said indication storing relays, a second plurality of buses, means responsive to a distinctive operation of said indication storing relays for energizing said second plurality of buses, an indication signal, and means responsive to a distinctive energization of one of said first plurality of buses for preventing the connection of said signal to one of said second plurality of buses whereby the energization of said one of said second plurality of buses fails to energize said signal.

11. Ina signalling system, a first plurality of buses selectively and distinctively energized, a plurality of indication storing relays, means for selectively associating said indication storing relays with said first plurality of buses, means responsive to the distinctive energization of said first plurality of buses for distinctively operating said indication storing relays, a second plurality of buses, means responsive to a distinctive operation of said indication storing relays for energizing said second plurality of buses, an indication signal, means responsive to a first distinctive energization of one of said first plurality of buses for efiecting the connection of said signal to one of said second plurality of buses, means responsive to the energization of said one of said second plurality of buses for energizing said signal, and means responsive to a second distinctive energization of one of said first plurality of buses for preventing the connection of said signal to one of said second plurality of buses whereby the energization of said one of said second plurality of buses fails to energize said signal.

12. In a signalling system for indicating a change in the condition of any one of a plurality of devices, comprising a control relay, a contact operated by each of said devices, a pick-up circuit for said control relay including either one of said contacts, an energized bus, means for selectively connecting said bus to said devices whereby said devices are operated, and means controlled by the energized condition of said bus for rendering said pick-up circuit ineffective to control said control relay.

' 13. In a signalling system for indicating a change in the condition of any one of a plurality of devices, comprising a control relay, a contact operated by each of said devices, a pick-up circuit for said control relay including either one of said contacts, an energized bus, means for selectively connecting said bus to said devices whereby said devices are operated, means controlled by the energized condition of said bus for rendering said pick-up circuit ineffective to conenergized bus, means for selectively connecting said bus to said devices whereby said devices are operated, means controlled by the energized condition of said bus for rendering said pick-up circuit ineffective to control said control relay, and 5 signalling means controlled by said control relay.

THOMAS J. JUDGE. 

